News

JACKSONVILLE – The 2013 South Division Champion Jacksonville Sharks added depth to the team’s secondary on Monday, as defensive backs Xavier Brewer and Brodrick Brown have been assigned to the Jacksonville roster on one-year rookie contracts. Per team policy, terms of the deals were not disclosed.

The 24-year-old Brewer (5’11”, 195) originally signed with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent following the 2013 NFL Draft. Brewer participated in training camp with the Cowboys before being waived by the team on August 31.

Brewer comes to professional football from Clemson University, where he was a fixture in the Tigers’ secondary, starting 34 of the 53 games in which he participated. Elected as a team co-captain as a senior in 2012, Brewer wrapped up his collegiate career with a total of 64 tackles, eight tackles for loss, two sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumble and five pass breakups.

In 2011, Brewer started all 13 of the Tigers’ games, racking up 60 tackles, three tackles for loss, one interception and seven pass breakups. He was a full-time starter for the first time as a sophomore in 2010. In that season, Brewer again showed his versatile playmaking ability with 54 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, a sack, two interceptions and eight pass breakups. Brewer first saw action as a redshirt freshman in 2009, when he was a factor on special teams and saw snaps in the secondary during 11 of the team’s 14 games.

Brewer will not have to travel far for training camp, as he is a Jacksonville native who attended Bartram Trail High School. A highly-regarded high school recruit, Brewer was rated as the No. 7 cornerback and No. 65 overall player in his class according to ESPN.com.

The 23-year-old Brown (5’9”, 185) heads into his first Arena Football League season. He got his first professional football experience with the San Francisco 49ers, as he participated in the team’s mini-camp following the 2013 NFL Draft.

Brown played all four years of his collegiate career at Oklahoma State, playing in a total of 40 games as a three-year starter at cornerback. As a senior in 2012, Brown ranked fifth on the team with 62 tackles, including a season high of 10 against the Oklahoma in the Bedlam rivalry game. Brown racked up 20 passes defended during his junior season (five interceptions, 15 pass breakups), ranking third in the nation with an average of 1.54 passes defended per game. Brown started every game as a sophomore, ranking second on the team with eight pass breakups and tied for second among Cowboy defenders with 77 tackles.

As a redshirt freshman in 2009, Brown saw most of his action on special teams before an injury shortened his first season as a Cowboy. Brown also competed with the Cowboys’ track team in the spring of 2009.

Brown was born in Shreveport, La. and attended Westfield High School in Houston, Tex, where he was a member of the Houston all-area team and earned recognition as a finalist for the Houston Touchdown Club player of the year award. A multi-sport athlete, Brown also competed in track during his high school career.

About the Jacksonville Sharks

The Jacksonville Sharks are members of the Arena Football League (AFL). The ArenaBowl XXIV and four-time South Division Champions are presented by Sea Best Seafood and play all home games on Sea Best Field at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena. Season Tickets for the 2014 season are now available, two tickets as low as $185. To reserve your season tickets or for more information, please call (904) 621-0700. Follow the Sharks on facebook at facebook.com/jaxsharks and on Twitter @jaxsharks, as well as the Attack Dance Team at facebook.com/sharkattackdance and Chum at facebook.com/chumsharks.

About the AFL

Since its inception in 1987, the Arena Football League has showcased a fast-paced and exciting game to millions of fans in a myriad of markets across the country. The ESPN family of networks and CBS Sports Network will nationally broadcast AFL games each week for the entire season. The AFL schedule then culminates with the ArenaBowl Championship game live on ESPN.